"The health care and life sciences industries are two of our nation’s fastest growing, most rapidly changing and most heavily regulated industries. Surviving in this dynamic environment requires physicians, hospitals and other health care providers, as well as life sciences companies, to continually adjust to new technologies, new economic realities and ever emerging opportunities.”
Kathleen Quiroz
Health Care & Life Sciences Practice Group Leader
and Shareholder
Health care and life sciences are estimated to be two of the largest industries in South Texas and are perhaps the two industries that affect the lives of all people. As participants in these industries, health care providers, suppliers, and life sciences companies not only face the business challenges common to all industries but also must contend with an extraordinarily complex system of state and federal laws and regulations unique to these industries. While some firms may offer the expertise of business lawyers, and others the expertise of regulatory lawyers, the attorneys of our Health Care & Life Sciences Group possess the expertise of both business and health care regulatory lawyers. Accordingly, we are uniquely positioned to advise clients on how to achieve their business goals while operating their companies within the complex framework of federal and state statutes and regulations that govern the health care and life sciences industries.
Our Expertise
Health Care and Life Sciences Transactions Our Health Care & Life Sciences Group represents a wide range of health care providers and suppliers, including physicians and physician groups, hospitals and hospital systems, ancillary health care providers, durable medical equipment manufacturers and retailers, and management services organizations. Our Health Care & Life Sciences Group also represents life sciences companies, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies. What these diverse clients have in common is the desire to develop and grow successful business enterprises. With deep roots in corporate and business law, the attorneys of our Health Care & Life Sciences Group advise and guide our clients through the entire life cycle of a business enterprise, from formation to sale. With respect to formation, we assist our clients regarding the creation of the appropriate form of business enterprise, advise start-up companies regarding initial securities offerings, as well as advising on complex financing transactions. After formation, we advise our clients with respect to operations, maintenance and growth through mergers and acquisitions; joint ventures, partnerships, and collaborations; the hiring and retention of employees; their licensing and technology transfers; their product and asset acquisition and divestiture; protection of their intellectual property; research and development; and clinical trial and CRO agreements. We also advise and assist our clients with strategic business and legal planning, with discreet transactions and highly specialized legal issues as well as with routine matters such as contract drafting, review and negotiation. In addition, we advise our clients on preparing their businesses for growth, transition and sale and represent them in capitalizing on the value they created. Whatever the need, challenge or opportunity, our Health Care & Life Sciences attorneys provide our clients with the expertise and creative solutions that help enable them to achieve success.
Regulatory Compliance Health care providers, suppliers and life sciences companies are governed by a myriad of state and federal statutes and related regulations. The members of our Health Care & Life Sciences Group advise clients on a wide variety of issues arising under those statutes and regulations, including issues relating to compliance with, and investigations initiated under, antitrust laws; Stark Law; federal and state anti-kickback and anti-solicitation statutes; civil monetary penalties law; the False Claims Act and other civil and criminal false claims statutes; HIPAA and the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules; federal and state sunshine acts; and federal and state regulations relating to clinical research. We also conduct health care regulatory due diligence in connection with proposed business transactions.
Third Party Reimbursement Our Health Care & Life Sciences Group represents clients in connection with Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement issues, including issues related to Medicare Advantage plans and Medicaid managed care programs; and reimbursement issues arising in the context of clinical research. We also represent our clients in a wide range of reimbursement-related issues such as assignment of benefits, balance billing, coinsurance obligations, voluntary disclosure, recoupment of overpayments, and utilization review and quality assurance.
Licensure, Certification, and Peer Review Our Health Care & Life Sciences Group represents clients in matters involving complaints filed with, and investigations conducted by, state licensing boards such as the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Board of Nursing. We also represent clients with respect to state licensing issues relating to facility licensure and manufacturer/distributor licensure. We also have significant experience assisting clients with the formation of nonprofit health corporations and the certification of nonprofit corporations by the Texas Medical Board. The members of our Health Care & Life Sciences Group also advise both hospitals and physicians on medical staff credentialing and peer review matters.
Contact Us
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